Training camp is off and running for the Detroit Lions as they enter the 2025 campaign looking to do something that the franchise has never accomplished before: win the Super Bowl.
With the majority of the key pieces to the puzzle from last year's team that went 15-2 on its way to an NFC North title set to return in 2025, Lions fans are more eager for this season to kick off than they have been in quite some time.
While it is still very early in the preseason process, the early returns from Detroit's offense have been promising and one veteran wide receiver, in particular, has stood out to All-Pro quarterback Jared Goff thus far.
Lions Veteran WR Tim Patrick Has Goff's Attention in Early Practices
With Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams leading the charge on the outside, the Lions already had a pair of dangerous weapons for Goff to distribute the ball to. While the sample size has been small, a third veteran has opened the eyes of Detroit's QB1 as Tim Patrick has seemingly turned the clock back during the offseason and is looking like a younger version of himself.
Goff said as much during his session with the media following Thursday's practice, as, according to Ben Raven of MLive.com, the quarterback compared Patrick to the fictional age-reversing character Benjamin Button.
Lions QB Jared Goff said Tim Patrick pulled a Benjamin Button and aged in reverse over the offseason. Patrick has looked good from OTAs through first four days.
— Ben Raven (@BenjaminSRaven) July 24, 2025
A lot of weapons on that offense.
Patrick will turn 32 years old this November. Even though he isn't aging in reverse like Goff joked when addressing the wideout's impressive play thus far, hearing that Patrick is in incredible shape entering camp shows he means business as he is playing out the 2025 season on a one-year deal.
With St. Brown and Williams accounting for over 75% of the receptions made by wide receivers this past season, having a reliable third option opens up more opportunities for those two stars to make a greater impact. If the veteran is capable of upping his game and taking on that responsibility, it would be a huge boost for the team.
Patrick reeled in the third-most catches by a wide receiver last season with 33 receptions on 44 targets for 393 yards and three touchdowns. These are fine numbers, but they lagged significantly behind the total receptions that Sam LaPorta (60), Jahmyr Gibbs (52), and even David Montgomery (36) had last season.
The 11 players on the opposing defense can only do so much to stop an offense with the type of firepower Detroit's offense possesses. Patrick emerging as that third WR option, to go along with Gibbs and Montgomery in the backfield and LaPorta at TE, only makes the Lions that much more of a threat whenever Detroit owns the ball.
Lions fans will have to wait and see just how things play out from here, but it sounds like Patrick is impressing already ahead of the 2025 campaign.